His greatest love.

Chapter 47.

The hallway outside the cardiothoracic wing was quieter now.

The buzz of monitors and rounds had dimmed, replaced by the soft rustle of white coats and the shuffle of surgical clogs across polished floors.

Behind frosted glass doors with her name elegantly engraved in gold, Dr. Diana Pierce sat at her sleek desk scrubs still perfect, hair pulled back, a glass of water in her hand as she debriefed the surgery with Dr. Jason Malik and Dr. Gabriel Miller lounging nearby.

"Vitals have stabilized. The graft took beautifully," Malik reported, eyes glowing with the aftermath of adrenaline and pride.

"Perfusion maintained?" Pierce asked, casually tapping a finger against her notes.

"Flawless," Gabriel chimed in, sipping his coffee.

Diana leaned back slightly in her chair, looking from one to the other. "You both did well."

Jason beamed as Gabriel smirked. "We were in your orbit. Hard to crash when you're flying next to a star."

"Smooth words will get you anything." Diana said lightly.

"I Know," he replied.

They chuckled, the atmosphere light and warm. For a brief moment, it wasn't the hospital's highest-paid surgeon and her elite circle. It was family, forged in steel and blood and mutual respect.

Then a knock.

Diana's gaze didn't shift as the door opened.

Eve Sterling stepped in sharp navy suit, clipboard in hand, lips twisted into a polite smirk. Her heels tapped across the polished floor with the confidence of a woman who had won before.

"Dr. Pierce," Eve said brightly. "May I come in?"

"You're already inside," Diana replied coolly. "Might as well make yourself uncomfortable."

Eve smiled tightly, unfazed, for now.

"I wanted to officially introduce myself," she said. "I'm the Clinical Financial Liaison assigned to all departments, particularly high-burn units like Cardiothoracic. My job is to optimize time, performance, and resources."

Diana folded her hands atop the desk. "Optimize."

"Yes," Eve nodded. "We're pushing new protocols. Daily check-ins, efficiency audits, adjustments to overtime access and no off-record procedures. All team rotations must now be approved through me including residents. Fellows. Surgeons."

She smiled wider now. "You've been given... a lot of freedom. That changes today."

"Go on," Diana said with unnerving softness.

Eve blinked. "Excuse me?"

"You have more. Keep talking."

Eve faltered, unsure for the first time. "Well... as I understand, your resident has been using unapproved OR hours, we've had complaints and your post-maternity reintegration doesn't exempt you from financial compliance. I think it's time we brought your team in line."

Diana leaned forward just slightly and smiled. A slow, elegant, bone-chilling smile.

"You're finished?"

Eve straightened her spine. "Yes."

Diana nodded. "Good."

Then she laughed. Not a big laugh. A soft, dangerous one. Like a scalpel glinting under an overhead light.

"You walked into my office, holding your clipboard, dressed like you're about to up-sell a retirement package, and you thought you'd enforce 'rules' on the person who built this department from scratch?"